SuperBowl XLIX – All About The TV Ads?

I find it fascinating that in all of my news feeds / social media, yesterday’s superbowl rated exactly ONE article about the game itself.

OK, so I’m UK based and don’t follow NFL feeds, but by way of comparison, I lost count of the number of updates about the half time show and – even more so – the TV ads. My feed was PACKED with superbowl advertising articles! They were repeatedly linked, reported and dissected. As someone who works in content marketing, I find this fascinating.

For me, the night was about Matthews stepping into the spotlight with his first NFL receptions, Wilson literally throwing the Seahawks’ chances away in the dying moments of the game – who called that play? – and Brady’s questionable MVP award (I hope he hands the keys for the winner’s Chevy to Matthews or Butler!) But none of that was even referenced in my newsfeed.

Has the superbowl’s importance as a marketing vehicle overtaken its importance as a marquee sporting event? Is this indicative of a sport in crisis (from a pure sports perspective?) Does this reflect a global capitalist focus on commerce over champions? Or is it just business as normal? I’d love to hear your thoughts.